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      Goodell to look into Roethlisberger sexual assault allegations

      July 22, 2009 /

      According to a report by NFL.com, commissioner Roger Goodell said that he’s going to look into the sexual assault allegations that have been brought upon Steelers’ quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

      NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said he is looking into the allegations against Roethlisberger, one of the biggest names in sports. He has won two Super Bowl titles in his five-year career and is about to report to training camp as the Steelers look to repeat as champions.

      “I don’t know enough of the details, but it’s a civil lawsuit, it’s something that we obviously will look into,” Goodell said when asked about it in New York during an unrelated news conference. “I’ve been in touch with the Steelers about it.”

      Roethlisberger’s lawyer adamantly denied the allegations Tuesday.

      “Ben has never sexually assaulted anyone,” David Cornwell said in a statement. “The timing of the lawsuit and the absence of a criminal complaint and a criminal investigation are the most compelling evidence of the absence of any criminal conduct. If an investigation is commenced, Ben will cooperate fully and Ben will be fully exonerated.”

      I’ll say the same thing today as I did yesterday when these allegations first came out: We don’t know enough yet to assume anything. We can speculate all we want but the fact of the matter is that there’s no factual evidence that suggests Big Ben did anything wrong.

      One thing is for sure though, Goodell isn’t going to tolerate any player tarnishing the NFL shield. So if Big Ben is found guilty of any wrongdoing, you can rest assure that Goodell is going to make him pay because no individual player is above the league.

      NFL

      Blazers interested in Andre Miller?

      July 21, 2009 /

      After Hedo Turkoglu decided to play for the Raptors and after the Jazz made it clear that they’d match the Blazers’ offer sheet to Paul Millsap, we all wondered what Portland’s Plan C would be. Apparently, it’s Andre Miller.

      A deal is not imminent, but there has been progress made toward resolving Miller’s status, according to a source with knowledge of the discussions.

      The Blazers have been looking to upgrade at point guard but didn’t get very far in talks with Dallas guard Jason Kidd (who re-signed with the Mavericks) or Phoenix’s Steve Nash (who agreed to a two-year, $22 million extension with the Suns on Monday). Portland was not looking hard at Miller because the Blazers thought they needed to add someone to the roster with more perimeter shooting skills than the 33-year-old. But with $7.7 million in cap room and a dwindling number of free agents available, Miller may be Portland’s last best chance to bring in a veteran player that can help its young core.

      For now, according to a source, the Blazers do not have any interest in Lakers free agent forward Lamar Odom, whose negotiations with Los Angeles on a new contract have stalled.

      I’ve been hearing all summer how Miller is a poor fit for the Blazers given their overall pace (29th in the league) and desire to surround Brandon Roy with as many shooters as possible. (Miller is a career 21% three-point shooter.) So the Blazers’ sudden interest is surprising.

      While Odom doesn’t represent the kind of toughness the Blazers want to add to their front line, Portland is uniquely positioned to wrest him away from Los Angeles, which would serve a big blow to the Lakers’ chances of winning another title.

      Portland could work with Miami to help the Heat facilitate a trade for Carlos Boozer. Udonis Haslem is a good, hard-nosed player who can shoot the ball, and while he’s not truly starter-caliber, he’d be a nice guy to have on the bench.

      Or they could go after Boozer themselves, if they can get the Jazz to answer their calls after trying to steal Millsap away earlier this month.

      If the Blazers aren’t worried about having a point guard that can shoot, they should go after Ramon Sessions, who is just as productive as Miller, but 10 years his junior and quite a bit cheaper.

      NBA, News, Rumors & Gossip

      Iyer: Six teams that make sense for Vick

      July 21, 2009 /

      Vinnie Iyer of the Sporting News details six teams that make sense as fits for Michael Vick.

      Iyer does a nice job of detailing why each of the six teams (49ers, Dolphins, Jaguars, Raiders, Redskins, Seahawks) might eventually seek Vick’s services. But of the six, I’d put my money on these two teams:

      Oakland Raiders. This is a make-or-break year for JaMarcus Russell, and if Russell falters, 39-year-old Jeff Garcia is only a stopgap solution. Owner/G.M. Al Davis historically has taken chances on super-athletic players, even those with a resume of indiscretions. Vick’s strong arm and speed would be the initial attraction, but his running ability fits right in with the team’s deep and talented backfield.

      Seattle Seahawks. Even though coach Jim Mora has said Seattle’s current quarterback situation wouldn’t prompt the team to go after Vick, it might be different if injuries continue to hamper Matt Hasselbeck, who turns 34 in September and has a history of back problems. The Seahawks already have a Vick-like QB in backup Seneca Wallace, but of all the offenses out there Vick would have the easiest time under Mora and Greg Knapp, his former coach and coordinator from Atlanta.

      The Raiders are an easy fit for the obvious reasons: They don’t care about character, they’ve taken in delinquents before, Al Davis is bat-sh*t crazy, etc.

      But the Seahawks make a lot of sense for one key reason: Jim Mora.

      Now, Mora did confirm in early June that Seattle isn’t interested in Vick. But all he said was that the Seahawks were “very happy” with the quarterbacks they have on their roster.

      Don’t forget that while coaching in Atlanta, Mora treated Vick like a childhood friend and often came to his defense when others criticized the inconsistent quarterback. Granted, that alone doesn’t mean that Mora would be willing to take on all of Vick’s baggage now, but considering that Matt Hasselbeck is coming off a serious back injury and Seneca Wallace proved last year that he’ll probably never be anything more than a backup, maybe Mora will eventually warm up to the idea. If anyone believed they could help turn Vick’s life around, it could be Mora, someone who already has a relationship with the troubled QB.

      Of course, Vick still has to be reinstated before any team can sign him. It’s a waiting game now.

      NFL

      MLB Trade Rumors: Vazquez, Halladay, Sanchez & more

      July 21, 2009 /

      – While the Braves are targeting a bat, GM Frank Wren doesn’t think that the club will be sellers around the trade deadline and although he is thought to be Atlanta’s best trade piece, it appears that pitcher Javier Vazquez might be staying put.

      – It appears that Toronto GM J.P. Ricciardi is putting the squeeze on teams that want to acquire Roy Halladay. Ricciardi said that his trade deadline for Halladay will be sooner than the July 31 MLB deadline, seeing as how it’s going to take a massive offer for any club to acquire the ace.

      – Due to Randy Johnson’s health concerns, it appears that the Giants will probably hang onto starter Jonathan Sanchez, who threw a no hitter in his second to last outing. A couple of weeks ago it seemed like Sanchez’s days in San Fran were surely numbered, but maybe the Big Unit’s injury was a blessing in disguise because Sanchez appears to have fixed a lot of the control issues that has haunted him over his career.

      – Larry Beinfest and the Marlins still can’t decide whether or not they’re buyers or sellers. If they’re buyers, they reportedly are interested in a closer, possibly the Pirates’ Matt Capps.

      – The Dodgers are in the market for a reliever and names like Francisco Cordero, Matt Capps, George Sherrill and Arthur Rhodes have been linked to the boys in blue.

      – Tom Gage of the Detroit News doesn’t think the first-place Tigers will make a major move around the trade deadline.

      – Even though the Rangers are currently in contention, the Star-Telegram says that Texas is reluctant to trade away any of its prospects in order to make a move for a pitcher.

      MLB

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